Vengeance in Bloom (The Love Unauthorized Series Book 2) Read online

  “I’ll tell you the part that involves you if you let me take a ride with the whore. My trashy foster daughter already sells herself to whoever can afford her. Leave her tied up, and give me five minutes. I want her to ride my dick while she calls me Daddy.”

  This guy is fucking sick. Paisley shakes her head at Joe while heading toward Braelyn. She removes the gag from her mouth, and they share a look I can’t quite decipher.

  “You won’t let him touch me, will you?” Braelyn whispers.

  Paisley, who is always true to herself and everything good inside her, shakes her head. Braelyn relaxes and sneers at Joe from her seat across from him.

  “I want to know what you have on Braelyn.”

  “Why do you care? You’ve already figured out the bitch for who she is.”

  “I’m not playing with you, Joe. You’re in no fucking position to make deals. I want whatever information you have. Now! Where is the file?”

  Paisley looks around the room at the men surrounding us. Callen steps forward and holds out a green backpack. I take it from Callen and bring it to Paisley. She motions for me to check out what’s inside. There is a single black binder inside among trash and junk. It’s heavy in my grasp as I pull it out from the bag. Paisley watches with curiosity as I drop the bag to the floor and open the cover.

  I skim through the first few pages before I speak, “There are reports of animal cruelty from neighbors. Incidents documented by parents of children who said they were bullied or attacked by Braelyn. There are reports of theft and vandalism made by eyewitnesses. At six, she did a stint in a juvenile corrections facility for three months, and they released her on a psych hold for another eight months before she was officially discharged.”

  Paisley mumbles, “How did I not know any of this?”

  But I’m not finished yet. “She was suspected of luring a little boy into the woods, allegedly tying him to a tree for two days. The details of what happened during those two days are vague, and the boy had no visible marks on him to help prove any of his story.”

  There’s complaint after complaint about her in here. Some proven and some not. Behind the reports are dozens of drawings. The disturbing images are depicted in colorful crayon. Images I can’t imagine coming from the mind of a child.

  “Jordan Harris.” Joe coughs and shakes his head before continuing, “That brings us to how Paisley is tied into all this, doesn’t it? The initial accusation against Braelyn was eventually thrown out. The story was one troubled child’s word against another’s. The two of them had been in more trouble in their short years than most see their entire lives. People easily look away when the victims are poor kids with severe issues. But that’s not where the story ends. Is it, Paisley?”

  She silently paces the floor.

  Does she know what he’s talking about?

  I knew Braelyn was an uncaring bitch, but this is fucking insane. She’s like a textbook case of eventual serial killers. The evidence and timelines in this folder show most of the issues and complaints stopped after her time spent in the psychiatric hospital—before Paisley was brought into Braelyn’s life. How could social workers knowingly put Paisley in a room with this little girl who obviously had so many issues?

  The room is too quiet. No one speaks, and all eyes are on Paisley. I want to end this all and put bullets through both Braelyn and Joe’s heads. Bullshit over. On to the next. But I can’t—not yet.

  “Spit it the fuck out. Tell me whatever it is you think you know. Jordan Harris had nothing to do with why we left. He was a weird kid from down the block. I never even spoke a word to him. I can’t figure out what the fuck you’re trying to say.”

  “He was a weird kid because he never recovered from whatever Braelyn had done to him in those woods. He was hospitalized the same day the two of you disappeared. That’s not a coincidence.” Joe sneers, exposing his rotting teeth. The sight is revolting. “Check the side pocket of the bag. You’ll find a journal Braelyn left behind when you two fled. It details every vicious act she’d carried out as a child. Including the two instances with Jordan.”

  He signed his death wish when he came after my girl. He’ll be at the bottom of the Gulf by tomorrow morning.

  Paisley flips through Braelyn’s old journal while I sneer at Joe. Her distraught voice disrupts my soundless gloating. “You’ve been lying to me. Our whole relationship together was bullshit, Braelyn. We were never in this together! You convinced me to run for your own selfish motivations. You never let me in at all. You’ve always been a monster, and everyone I love is in danger because of you!”

  “You’re dramatic. You were always the drama queen. Who cares why we left? We were better off on our own than with him.”

  Braelyn and Paisley stare each other down. Eyes locked on one another. Two women who couldn’t be more different.

  “You looked down on me every step of the way, but I always kept us safe. I was the one Joe would beat when I couldn’t keep you quiet during your nightmares. Jordan Harris was a freak that I took care of. I was the one who got us through life on the street. You wouldn’t have lasted the first few months without me. I fucked the landlord to get us a place to live.” She has an answer for everything. Too bad they only make sense in her own head. “I protected you my whole life, and now, you’re the one to take me down. I’m not the one who needs a lesson in loyalty.”

  “Burke is loyal. Kai is loyal. Teagan is loyal. I don’t need any kind of lesson. I’ve seen everything I need to know.” Paisley invades Braelyn’s space. She grips her jaw and squeezes, lifting her face to her own. “You never once protected me. You protected yourself and brought me along for the ride. The first time I was in the way of something you wanted, you stabbed me in the back. YOU. LEFT. ME. You tried to convince me Burke and Kai were the ones who put me there.” She releases her grip on Braelyn’s face and pushes away from her. “You know what? I’m done. I’m done with all of this. I’m not going to stand here and listen to all this bullshit. Anything the two of you have to say, you can say to each other because I don’t want to hear any more.”

  Paisley walks off toward the door of the warehouse. Fuck, she turns me on when she gets a little hostile.

  I stride after her, afraid of her leaving my sight, calling over my shoulder to Callen, “Kill him, and get rid of the body. Braelyn is safe for now, but we don’t need Joe.”

  Callen nods and advances toward a panicking Joe. Good riddance.

  I keep on after my girl. Paisley curses under her breath and kicks dirt. The action would be adorable if we weren’t in this situation. Worry and stress radiate off her, and I can’t have that. I close the distance between us and pull her into my arms. My hands grip her neck, and she softens at my touch. Her sweat coats my fingers. Chills cover her body when I stroke her damp hair. She lets out a heavy sigh and collapses into my arms. Her body shakes, and strangled sobs ring out from her lungs. I hold her while she lets out her frustration, hoping to give her some comfort.

  “Those people don’t deserve you. They aren’t worthy to even know you.”

  “I’m overwhelmed. Joe was never someone I trusted or cared about, but”—her voice breaks before she heaves in a cleansing breath—“Braelyn was my family. I missed so much. I ignored so much. All of this might have been prevented if I’d seen Braelyn for who she was years ago.”

  “Don’t do that. Braelyn doesn’t seem to have any idea who’s really behind this. This would’ve happened with or without her. You aren’t responsible for other people and their choices. We’ll figure this out. I promise you.”

  “I have a plan, Burke. Since Braelyn showed up, I’ve been going over it again and again in my head. I know how we end this.”

  “What’s the plan?”

  “Do you trust me?”

  “Without a doubt.”

  “Good, because you’ll need to remember that when you hear what I have in mind. Now, let’s go home.”

  Paisley

  Burke’s hand roughly g
rasps my throat. My fingers dig into the skin of his shoulders as pressure is applied against my neck. Adrenaline sears through me from his touch, down to my toes. Everything within me reacts. My emotions run wild, but he needs to feel in control for a little while, so I relax. I’m happy to be his outlet. More than happy. My pussy aches for the things he’s about to do to me. Burke doesn’t like my plan. Not one bit. But we don’t have anything else. The PI is coming up empty, Kai is coming up empty, and there hasn’t been another grab for Braelyn. I’ve thought this through. It’ll work. I know it will.

  “Take your clothes off, and lie on the bed.”

  I do as I was told and strip off my clothes while Burke leaves the room. The cold air from the fan hits my skin as my naked flesh rests against the soft bedding beneath me while I wait for him to return. When he does, a slow, approving smile spreads across my face. Still fully clothed, Burke makes his way to me. The tips of his fingers graze my skin. I’m positive the tenderness in his touch won’t last for long. He brings my hands over my head while licking and sucking at my wrist. His teeth come out to play and nip at my flesh. His legs straddle my torso. The coarse material of the rope he brought from downstairs pulls against my wrists as he ties me up.

  He works methodically to bind my arms together and connects the rope to the bed, preventing virtually all mobility of my arms. I test my limits, and the harsh pull against my skin causes some discomfort.

  “Spread your legs.”

  I do as he said.

  “Wider.”

  I follow direction.

  Burke ties my legs to the bed. A rope around each ankle. I’m naked, spread eagle, and tied up. My body is completely exposed to him. My chest rises and falls with my elevated excitement. Lust and need take over Burke’s face. He stands at the end of the bed and slowly removes his clothes. He watches me like I’m everything he’s ever wanted. My body squirms, unable to do anything to alleviate the ache building within me. This is going to be as tormenting as it is pleasurable. I’m at Burke’s mercy. After his last piece of clothing joins mine on the floor, he stands at the foot of the bed, watching me and slowly stroking his cock. He’s going to make me wait.

  “Talk to me.”

  “Talk? You want to talk?”

  “Yes. I want you to talk to me. I want you to tell me every dirty thought that comes to your mind. I want you to tell me how much you want me. I want you to tell me exactly what you want me to do to you. Talk to me.” A smirk lights up his face. A sinfully devious, beautiful smirk.

  How do I form words when he’s looking at me like that? I lick my lips, trying to prepare myself to speak.

  He slowly rolls his hand over the head of his dick. “I’m waiting, Paisley.”

  My brain scrambles, and I work to form a coherent thought. I draw in air and deeply exhale out. One, two, three times. I give him what he wants in order to not prolong when he’ll finally touch me. “I’m desperate for your touch. I can see how much you want me, and that makes me crazy.”

  “What does it do to you?”

  “It makes me wet. You make me wet. Being tied up in your bed makes me wet. I want you to fuck me while I’m completely at your mercy. I’m yours.” I pull against my restraints to emphasize my point.

  “How do you want it? How do you want me to fuck you?”

  “Hard. I want you to take me without hesitation. Be reckless. Mark my skin. Fuck me so hard, I ache for days. Fuck me stupid. Give me everything you have.”

  Burke needs this. I need this. Here is where we can take out our frustrations. Here is where we can spin back the axes outside forces have tilted. Here is where we regroup. Using each other. Replenishing one another. We right our worlds.

  “Beg me. Moan for me. Show me how much you want my cock inside you.”

  Beg? Never did I think I’d beg for a man. Burke? I’d do so much worse. I will do anything he asks of me right now if that means he will touch me.

  Burke comes closer, careful not to touch me as he kneels on the edge of the bed while he watches over me. His hand continues to stroke his cock.

  I lick my lips and grip on to the rope anchoring me to the bed and writhe under his attention, wishing his hands were on me, imagining his hands on me. I can feel the deep flush across my skin. His eyes narrow in on my pussy while I begin my one-woman show. I cry out. Each moan and deep pant is authentic. He strokes himself while I visualize his hands on me. I sound desperate, but everything about this is intoxicating.

  “Oh God! Burke! Please! I can’t wait anymore. Touch me. Take me. Fuck me!”

  My clit aches, and my nipples get as hard as rocks. The rope cuts against my skin while my body jerks against the sheets. I feel like an animal, and there isn’t a single part of me that feels shame. Burke likes to see me like this, and I like to be this for him.

  Finally, he abandons his self-touch and comes to me. The bed dips as he kisses the skin on my ankles, around my bindings. He works his way up, leaving a wet trail in his wake while he sucks and nips up the insides of my legs. His hands grip my thighs. I feel hot and cold all over, wanting him to go faster . . . wanting him to take his time.

  Then, his teeth sink into the area surrounding where I need him the most. His bites bounce around, penetrating my skin. His fingers move to my pussy, and he opens me. My legs are spread about as far as they’ll go, but he takes more. His fingers massage me roughly, but he still avoids my clit or putting his fingers inside me. He plays with my arousal. Coating his fingers. Teasing me.

  Taking his fingers from between my legs, his hands roam. Up my stomach. Around my nipples. Against my neck. He traces my lips. I can smell myself. He’s coating my skin with my own wetness. He’ll taste me, no matter where his lips touch.

  “Burke, please.”

  “Be patient. I’ll take care of you.”

  “I can’t wait.”

  “You can, and you will.”

  He crushes his lips to mine. His tongue duels with my own. I take everything I can from his brutal kiss. His hand goes back around my neck. His grip is tight while his thumb gently strokes up and down as he fucks my mouth with his own. Then, he’s gone, leaving me panting. As he straddles my hips, his eyes are intensely focused on me while he takes my nipples between his fingers and tugs.

  The pain is incredible and brings my body arching off the bed as far as it can. Fuck, that feels amazing. I whimper when he lets go, and he delivers a swift, stinging slap to the side of my breast before dipping his head and kissing it away. It makes my core throb, and a deep moan pushes from my throat. My eyes close against the pain, and I sink into the way my whole body seems to purr at the sensation.

  He teases me for what feels like hours. Gruff touches, followed by soothing pleasure. Merciless groping and petting. He strokes and fondles. Pushing the limits of what I can handle. Taking me high but never letting me come. My body is a bundle of nerves.

  I’m lost in a haze of need as his body settles between my legs, and he drags his cock against my pussy. I suck in a breath and remain stone still. He pushes into me, and I release a gasp. About fucking time. I angle my bottom half in order to take more of him. I work my muscles to grip him tighter. I do everything I can to satisfy the greed taking over my emotions.

  “Shit.”

  One word.

  After uttering one word, he loses all control. He moves. In and out of me. His fingers push on my clit. Faster and faster. He was denying me everything I wanted, and now, he’s giving it to me all at once. He fucks me so hard, I can feel bruises forming on my inner thighs. I open myself wider to him. Every thrust knocks the wind out of me, but I don’t care. I don’t need air as long as I have him.

  My orgasm hits me fast and hard. He doesn’t pause or let up on his pace. I rise but never fall. As soon as one orgasm begins to fade, he demands another. My body gives itself over to him. He claims one orgasm after another from me. My body is his to command. I can’t breathe. I can’t see straight. I’m lost in our gluttony.

  Burke bites hi
s lip, pumping in and out of me, rigorous and steadfast. Another wave hits me and takes over, this one even more powerful. Burke groans above me. His fingers leave my pussy, and he holds on to my waist for support. He pumps hard into me three more times and then releases before collapsing on top of me. We are both sweaty and out of breath, but that’s okay.

  “Feel better?” I ask once I can form coherent thoughts again.

  “Much.” He kisses the skin between my breasts.

  “Untie me. I need to touch you.”

  He groans and sighs. “I don’t think I can move.” Even as he says it, he’s moving to grant my wish, freeing my wrists with a single tug of the knot.

  My arms go around him, and my fingers trace slow lines up and down his spine. There are marks around my wrists, but they don’t hurt. They are worth every second of what I experienced with him. We lie in bed together without many words. I snuggle in as close as I can get when Burke wraps himself around me.

  A door slams from below us in the house.

  “Kai’s back.” I say.

  “Yep.”

  “Ready to fill him in on the plan?”

  “Have I agreed to that yet?”

  “No, but we both know you’re going to. Come on.”

  He’s already sliding out of the bed, but I grab his wrist.

  “Hey, it’ll be okay. It’ll work. We’ll plan out every detail, so there’s no room for error.”

  Burke

  “Are we clear, or do we need to go over the whole thing again?”

  The villagers are getting restless. I don’t care if they’re fucking annoyed with me. We’ll go over this plan until I’m confident. Considering I have huge doubts about going through with this, we might be here all day. Paisley’s idea is brilliant but dangerous. We’ve been strategizing for about an hour and then going over every intricate detail of the plan time and again.

  Teagan rests on the couch, looking dazed off. Kai’s clicking away on his computer, which is driving me nuts. Paisley rests against my side, drawing circles on the leg of my jeans. Callen stands in the corner with his arms crossed. He’s proven to me he’s loyal to his job, and he’s the person on my hired team I trust the most. He’ll be the only person outside the four of us to know what we have planned. He’ll be on Teagan duty while this all goes down. I’ve asked him to take her away. They’ll leave tomorrow.